Interactive voice response (IVR) systems allow an individual to interact with a database related system to acquire information and/or perform transactions associated with the database by telephone and/or by other data networks such as the Internet. IVR systems allow transactions to occur without interaction with user agents. For example, banks and credit card companies use IVR systems so that their customers can receive up-to-date account information instantly and easily without having to speak directly to a person.
IVR systems typically receive input information by presenting scripted requests for information to users and allowing users to answer questions either verbally or by pushing the numbers on a touch-tone telephone. Frequently, IVR systems will present a series of menus to a user, allowing the user to select various options. Additionally, users may enter other input information, such as an account number and a personal authorization code. The various menus and requests for input information occur by executing a script or program. Clearly, such scripts or programs can be quite complex.
To determine how well an IVR application is serving callers, IVR systems have utilized frequency analysis. Specifically, IVR applications measure the number of times that specific options are selected. For example, a banking IVR application may measure the number of times that customers select menu options associated with account balance inquiry, funds transfer, stop payment request, and/or the like. Although this information is useful for analyzing application performance, it is quite limited.